When I wake in the middle of the night // All my dreams, out of vision out of sight // And a caustic man in a cow skin cap leans across and whispers // “I’m perpetually outrageous, right?”
The angular furious abstractions and artful swagger of "New to the Office", by South London four-piece Hadda Be, will stimulate your senses, might have you dancing wildly knocking down furniture, so be warned. To an old dog like me I am loving the stabs of sound, the feral nature meets art punk sensibilities like a bloody collision of Buzzcocks and The Waitresses or my younger minded self might feel some sonic psychic connections to an amalgam of Drahla and Squid (or thereabouts). Suffice it to say I am thoroughly loving Hadda Be's aesthetic from top to bottom and inside out.
"New to the Office" is so dramatically dynamic moving from dense alt rock eruptions to power chords that hang in mid-air, Jago Furnas' fanning guitar chords absolutely kill and thrill me to my core. The imposing bass lines courtesy of Dan Trolley in tandem with Olly Wareham's punchy drum wails and, of course, Amber Price's vocal countenance, that is equal parts acerbic disdain and aloof angst, feels fresh while leaning into halcyonic punk places.
Amazing sound, amazing song that pummels and swings and sort of scoops you in it's arms like a kids song on Mr. Rogers all at once with great impact.
LINER NOTES (excerpted / bracketed):
"New to the Office" is released by Last Night From Glasgow (UK and Europe) and Bada Bing (US). Hadda Be’s new album following in 2026.
-Robb Donker Curtius
Lyrics
When I wake in the middle of the night
All my dreams, out of vision out of sight
And a caustic man in a cow skin cap leans across and whispers
“I’m perpetually outrageous, right?”
Pull the trigger and the glimmer of hope it fades
I saw two lights shine overhead
They’ll fill the world or break it
Won’t you please replay
How you seized the day
Water reels away
Won’t you really say
How it feels today
For the rich who play
How you ease the pain
How you ease the pain
Want the freedom, not the call, it won’t all stick around
If these walls could talk they’d turn your skin inside out
“I’m exceptionally contagious, right?”
and I won’t ever need a rain check. Is that right?
Won’t you please replay
How you seized the day
Water reels away
Won’t you really say
How it feels today
For the rich who play
How you ease the pain
How you ease the pain
Will you call the rain, what’s it mean to me?
Well I don’t like it! Well I don’t like it!
When I wake in the middle of the night
+ + +
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7kwtv7KgUn9OucgLk6R_xg
https://www.instagram.com/haddabeband
https://www.facebook.com/haddabeband
https://x.com/haddabeband
South London four-piece Hadda Be formed in 2019 and quickly drew attention with their early singles from the likes of Steve Lamacq at BBC 6 Music and John Kennedy at Radio X. In 2021 they seized upon a gap between lockdowns to record their debut album in a frenetic five-day session at Brighton Road Studio. Another Life was released on the independent label Last Night From Glasgow, received extensive national airplay and found praise in For the Rabbits, Joyzine, God is in the TV and other independent publications. The stand-alone 2022 single ‘Mercurial’ introduced a darker, incisive sound, hinting at Hadda Be’s future direction.
Hadda Be toured across the UK, Europe and the USA in 2023 and 2024 alongside artists such as Miki Berenyi, Dream Nails and Crows. On the road, the band refined new material in the heat of their live performances, continuing to develop their heavier, more dynamic approach. Eager to capture their assertive new sound, the band began recording their sophomore album at Press Play Studio in 2025 with Andy Ramsay of Stereolab lending his experience and judgement from behind the desk.
‘New to the Office’ exemplifies the imposing sonic essence and disgruntled mood of the band’s new direction. Nailed down by Dan Trolley’s menacing bass and Olly Wareham’s relentless drums, frontwoman Amber Price dissects the absurdities of the day-to-day through the surreal imagery of an anxious Sunday night fever dream while guitarist Jago Furnas slices through the soundscape with stabs of fuzz.
‘New to the Office’ will be released by Last Night From Glasgow (UK and Europe) and Bada Bing (US) this October, with Hadda Be’s new album following in 2026.
LINER NOTES (excerpted / bracketed):
[‘New to the Office’ is a curt statement of intent from Hadda Be, dissecting the absurdities of day-to-day life through the anxious hallucinations of a Sunday night fever dream. Recorded in South London with Andy Ramsay of Stereolab, the track commits to the incendiary yet dynamic sound the band has developed on the road since their 2021 debut Another Life, pointing towards the direction of the four-piece’s forthcoming second album.]
"New to the Office" is released by Last Night From Glasgow (UK and Europe) and Bada Bing (US). Hadda Be’s new album following in 2026.
-Robb Donker Curtius
Lyrics
When I wake in the middle of the night
All my dreams, out of vision out of sight
And a caustic man in a cow skin cap leans across and whispers
“I’m perpetually outrageous, right?”
Pull the trigger and the glimmer of hope it fades
I saw two lights shine overhead
They’ll fill the world or break it
Won’t you please replay
How you seized the day
Water reels away
Won’t you really say
How it feels today
For the rich who play
How you ease the pain
How you ease the pain
Want the freedom, not the call, it won’t all stick around
If these walls could talk they’d turn your skin inside out
“I’m exceptionally contagious, right?”
and I won’t ever need a rain check. Is that right?
Won’t you please replay
How you seized the day
Water reels away
Won’t you really say
How it feels today
For the rich who play
How you ease the pain
How you ease the pain
Will you call the rain, what’s it mean to me?
Well I don’t like it! Well I don’t like it!
When I wake in the middle of the night
+ + +
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7kwtv7KgUn9OucgLk6R_xg
https://www.instagram.com/haddabeband
https://www.facebook.com/haddabeband
https://x.com/haddabeband
South London four-piece Hadda Be formed in 2019 and quickly drew attention with their early singles from the likes of Steve Lamacq at BBC 6 Music and John Kennedy at Radio X. In 2021 they seized upon a gap between lockdowns to record their debut album in a frenetic five-day session at Brighton Road Studio. Another Life was released on the independent label Last Night From Glasgow, received extensive national airplay and found praise in For the Rabbits, Joyzine, God is in the TV and other independent publications. The stand-alone 2022 single ‘Mercurial’ introduced a darker, incisive sound, hinting at Hadda Be’s future direction.
Hadda Be toured across the UK, Europe and the USA in 2023 and 2024 alongside artists such as Miki Berenyi, Dream Nails and Crows. On the road, the band refined new material in the heat of their live performances, continuing to develop their heavier, more dynamic approach. Eager to capture their assertive new sound, the band began recording their sophomore album at Press Play Studio in 2025 with Andy Ramsay of Stereolab lending his experience and judgement from behind the desk.
‘New to the Office’ exemplifies the imposing sonic essence and disgruntled mood of the band’s new direction. Nailed down by Dan Trolley’s menacing bass and Olly Wareham’s relentless drums, frontwoman Amber Price dissects the absurdities of the day-to-day through the surreal imagery of an anxious Sunday night fever dream while guitarist Jago Furnas slices through the soundscape with stabs of fuzz.
‘New to the Office’ will be released by Last Night From Glasgow (UK and Europe) and Bada Bing (US) this October, with Hadda Be’s new album following in 2026.
Hadda Be, South London, art punk, alt rock, progressive, abstract rock, indie rock, angular stabs of sound, heavy guitar, dynamic sonic shapes, "New to the Office", upcoming album in 2026,
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